Heater attachment for fans



. Nov. 26, 1946. A, w. GARDES HEATER ATTACHMENT FOR FANS Filed April 1,1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR.

Nov. 26, 1946. A. w. GARDES HEATER ATTACHMENT FOR FANS Filed April 1,1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

flTraF/VEX Patented Nov. 26, 1946 2,411,782 HEATER ATTACHMENT FOR FANSAlfred W. Gardes, De

McCord Corporation,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to heater attachments for fans.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an electric heaterattachment adapted for use in connection with various sized fans forheating the air discharged therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heater attachment forfans with adjustable attaching means which make it useful in connectionwith a wide range of sizes and styles of fans.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following specification taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings of which there are two sheets and wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a device embodying the inventionassembled to a fan;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view;

Fig, 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the staggered line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. l; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are side and front elevational views of one of themounting hooks.

The attachment in general comprises a casing iii, an electric resistanceheating element l2, and a series of adjustable hook members l4 by meansof which the attachment may be detachably connected to the guard it ofan air circulating fan indicated generally at 18.

The casing comprises outer and inner shields or shells 2d and 22arranged in spaced relation and so as to form an annular air conductingpath or channel 24. The outer shell 20 is circular and shaped in theform of a bowl with the large open end thereof presented toward the fanl8. The center of the outer shell 20 at the other end thereof is formedto provide a circular opening 26 through which air is discharged, Theinner shell 22 i generally saucer shaped with the periphery thereofspaced from the surrounding wall of the outer shell 20. At its centerthe inner shell 22 may be provided with a hub 28 which projects towardthe outlet 26. The opposed surfaces of the outer and inner shells 20 and22 cooperate to define an annular air passageway for conducting airdischarged by the fan over the heating element l2 and tothe outlet 26where it is discharged in a direction axially of the fan and awaytherefrom.

troit, Mich, assignor to a corporation of Maine Application April 1,1944, Serial No. 529,208

electric motor-driven A series of struts 30 extend across the spacebetween the outer periphery of the inner shell 22 and the inside wall ofthe outer shell 20 and are suitably secured to both of said shells forsupporting the shells relative to one another. The struts 39, asillustrated in Fig. 5, may present a streamlined shape toward the airdischarged by the fan. Each of the struts 30 is formed to support aninsulator 32 which projects in the direction of air how and which issecured to the strut by means of a series of rivets 34. The insulators32 form a support for the electric resistance heating element l2 whichmay comprise one or more coils of electric resistance wire supported insuitable openings provided by the insulators 32. Thus the electricresistance heating element is supported in the air passageway 24 and isarranged to dissipate heat to the air which is circulated therethrough,

The electric resistance heating element l2, like the motor of the fan,is adapted to be supplied with current from a suitable source, andpreferably the supply of current to the heating element I2 is arrangedunder the control of a relay or thermostatic switch so that the supplyof current to the heating element will be cut off or limited except whenthe fan is operating.

As previously indicated, this heater attachment is provided withadjustable means including the hook members i l by means of which thesame may be readily attached to and detached from fans of various sizes.The attaching mechanism comprises, in addition to the hook members 14, arotary disk 45 and a stationary disk 42, the sta tionary disk 42 beingsuitably supported on the rear face of the shell 22 at the centerthereof. The rotary disk 40 is fixed to one end of a shaft 44 so as torotate therewith, such shaft being supported at one end in a bearingformed by the hub 56 of the stationary disk 42 and at the other end in abearing 43 which, as illustrated, may be formed by portions of the shell22 at the center thereof. The shaft 44 extends forwardly of the shell 22and through the discharge outlet 26 where it is provided with a knob theouter surface of which may be shaped to form a continuation of theadjacent surfaces of the shell 22. The disk 40 is provided with a spiraltrack 52.

The inner ends '54 of each of the hook members M are bent laterallyrelative to the hook and arranged in the track or groove 52 asillustrated in Fig. 4. Preferably the length of each hook member i4 issuch that when arranged in a radial position, as illustrated in Fig. 4,and with the inner end 54 thereof arranged in the track 52, the hooks 56of each of the members [4 will be substantially uniformly spaced withrespect to the shaft .4 which is at the center of the attachment andadapted to be aligned with the axis of the fan. Each of the hook membersl4 may also be provided with another hook 58 at the outer extremitythereof and these hooks, like the hooks to be uniforml spaced relativeThe hooks 5B and 58 are adapted with the wire guard I6 of the fan, thatis, all of the hooks 58 may be engaged with a circular member 60 of theguard I 6, as illustrated in Fig. 3, or all of the hooks 55 may beengaged with such circular member 68, depending upon the position meansis arranged.

The hook members M are slidably mounted in suitable radially extendingguides in disk t2 and may be formed of strips of metal having portions62 and E i arranged at right angles relative to each other s that thehook member It may be bent in a radial plane relative to the shaft or ina plane normal thereto in order that the hooks 56 or 58 may beadequately engaged with suit able portions of the guards l6 of the fan.

It will be appreciated that as the disk as is rotated in acounterclockwise direction, (by means of knob looking at Fig. 4, thatthe hook members I 4 will move radially outwardly relative to the shaft44. Clockwise rotation of the disk ll] will move the hook members 14rameans of the knob 58 which is accessible from the front of theattachmay be expanded suffiengage a suitable part of the guard N5 of thefan (assuming that the attachment has its rear face positioned adjacentthe guard 16 of the fan and is arranged substantially co-axiallytherewith). Thereafter by rotafOr engagement selectively engaged withthe securely clamping the attachment to the face of the fan.

The diameter of the shells 2n and 22 is sufiiciently large so as to beuseful in connection with the various sizes of fans commonly used inhomes and ofiices, and with the adjustable attaching means hereindisclosed the attachment may be readily assembled to and disassembledfrom any of such fans. The inner shell 22, in addition to forming a partof the air passage in which the heating element i 2 is arranged,functions to limit the amount of air discharged by the fan which canpass over the heating element [2.

These heating elements i2 preferably are of a limited size because ofthe current conducting camaintained in homes, ofiices, and otherenclosures inhabited or used by human beings.

heater for use in homes, ofiiices, etc., purpose it is necessary tolimit the air flow through the passage 24 in View of the fact that theattachment is useful'in connection with varin which the adjusting 4 ionssizes of fans which may vary considerably in capacity.

While the invention has been described with some detail, it is to beunderstood that the description is for the purpose of illustration onlyand is not definitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The right isreserved to make such changes in the details of construction andarrangement of parts as will fall within the purview of the attachedclaims.

-I claim:

1. An electric heater attachment adapted to be readily removablyattached to the guard of an air circulating fan, said attachmentcomprising a casing providing a passage through which air is circulatedby said fan during operation thereof, an electric resistance heatingelement arranged in said passage and operable for heating the aircirculated therethrough by said fan,

with the guard of a fan for holding said casing assembled to a fan insuch a manner that the inlet to said passage is presented toward thedischarge from said fan, and mechanism for adjustably connecting saidhooks to said casing, including a knob for actuating said mechanism toextend or contract said hooks, said knob being accessible from the sideof said casing opposite said fan.

2. An electric heater attachment adapted to be readily removablyattached to the guard of an able for heating the air circulatedtherethrough by said fan, a plurality of radially extending membersadapted for engagement with the guard of a fan for holding said casingassembled to a members.

3. An electric heater attachment adapted to be readily removablyattached to the guard of an air circulating fan, said attachmentcomprising spaced inner and outer casing members providing a passagethrough which air is circulated by said fan during operation thereof,said outer casing member being bowl shaped and having its open sidepresented toward a fan, a circular discharge outlet formed in the centerof said outer casing member, spacers in said passage connecting saidinner and outer casing members, an electric resistance heating elementarranged in said passage and mounted on said spacers and operable forheating the air circulated through the passage by said fan, said innerand outer casing members being shaped to direct air discharged from thefan over said heating element, a plurality of radially extending hooksadapted for engagement with the guard of a fan for holding said casingassembled to a fan in such a manner that the inlet to said passage ispresented toward the discharge from said fan, and mechanism foradjustably connecting said hooks to said casing.

5. An electric heater attachment adapted to be readily removablyattached to the guard of an air circulating fan, said attachmentcomprising spaced inner and outer casing members providing a passagethrough which air is circulated by said fan during operation thereof,said outer casing member being bowl shaped and having its open sidepresented toward a fan, a circular discharge outlet formed in the centerof said outer casing member, spacers in said passage connecting saidinner and outer casing members, an electric resistance heating elementarranged in said passage and mounted on said spacers and operable forheating the air circulated through the passage by said fan, said innerand outer casing members being shaped to direct air discharged from thefan over said heating element, a plurality of radially extensible andcontractible hooks adapted for engagement with the guard of a fan forholding said casing assembled to a fan in such a manner that the inletto said passage is presented toward the discharge from said fan,mechanism for adjustably connecting said hooks to said casing, and aknob projecting forwardly from said inner casing member at the centerthereof for operating said mechanism.

6. An electric heater attachment adapted to be readily remo-vablyattached to the guard of an air circulating fan, said attachmentcomprising a casing providing an annular converging passage throughwhich air is circulated by said fan during operation thereof, the inletend of said passage being disposed adjacent the periphery of said casingand the discharge end being disposed at the center of said casing, anelectric resistance heating element arranged in said passage andoperable for heating the air circulated therethrough by said fan, aplurality of radially extensible hooks adapted for engagement with theguard of a fan for holding said casing assembled to a fan in such amanner that the inlet to said passage is presented toward the dischargefrom said fan, and mechanism for adjustably connecting said hooks tosaid casing.

7. An electric heater attachment adapted to be readily removablyattached to the guard of an air circulating fan, said attachmentcomprising a casing providing a passage through which air is circulatedby said fan during operation thereof, said passage having a dischargeoutlet in the front of said casing, an electric resistance heatingelement arranged in said passage and operable for heating the aircirculated therethrough by said fan, said attachment having a pluralityof flexible members provided with hooks adapted for engagement with theguard of a fan for holding said casing assembled to a fan in such a manner that the inlet to said passage is presented to" ward the dischargefrom said fan, some of said members having at the outer end thereof twohooks arranged at right angles to each other and being constructed andarranged so as to be endable in the planes of said hooks.

ALFRED W. GARDES.

